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Randklev bridgereopens, restoring Dovre Line rail link

23/05/2024, 06:50

Foto: Eivind Hamre, Bane NOR.

The Randklev Bridge over the Gudbrandsdalslågen river in Norway has reopened to rail traffic this week after being severely damaged by the extreme Storm Hans last year. This milestone allows passenger and freight trains to once again run normally along the entire length of the vital Dovre Line railway.

Hilde Wexels Riser

– This is a day many have been waiting for. Finally, we can reopen the Dovre Line for through traffic again, said Thor Gjermund Eriksen, CEO of the Norwegian National Rail Administration (Bane NOR).

The Dovre Line is a critical rail corridor for both passenger travel and freight transport between Eastern and Central Norway. Its reopening restores an essential artery for efficiently moving large volumes of food and other crucial goods between the two regions by rail – the most climate-friendly and safe mode of transportation.

During the August 2023 storm, flooding caused part of the Randklev Bridge’s foundation to collapse, sending two bridge sections into the swollen river. In addition to repairing the bridge elements, Bane NOR has constructed a new foundation with a larger base designed to better withstand erosion and extreme weather events driven by climate change. Erosion protection measures were also implemented on the other foundation.

– We have worked intensively to reopen this crucial rail link as quickly as possible. This project has been our highest priority, Eriksen stated.

The translation was written by an AI system, though the original text was authored by a human.